Locomotive drive unit



Aug. 7, 1945. w. A. BRECHT :T AL I 2,381,255

LOCOMOTIVE DRIV UNIT Filed July 28, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS M'nafor': 95/66/77 TORNE Aug. 7, 1945.

w. A. BRECHT ET AL LOGOMOTIVE DRIVE UNIT Filed July 28, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS MbJ/an 19. Bree/7f anBd/Fa/JK A. /7/b/7.

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WITNESSES:

Au 7, 1945. w. A. BRECHT ET AL 2,381,255

LOCOMOTIVE DRIVE UNIT I Filed July 28, 1943 4 Shets-Sheet WITNESSES: INVENTOR5 1 r p ATTOR y z, I I anafianKL./7/ben.

, I '4 BY r w. A. BRECHT ET AL 2,381,255

LOCOMOTIVE DRIVE UNIT Aug. 7, 1945.

Filed July 28, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS Mns/ofl 17. Bree/If WITNESSES: f'

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I ATTORN v .fully hereinafter l! will be apparent Patented Aug. 7, 1945 LOCOMOTIVE DRIVE UNIT Winston A. Brecht, Forest Hills, and Frank L.

Alben, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignors to Westinghouse-Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh,

Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application jJuly 28, 1943, Serial No. 496,408

7 Claims.

Our invention relates, generally, to locomotive driving units and, more particularly,i,to geardriveunits for turbine-driven locomotives.-

In a turbine-driven locomotive it is necessary to provide a reduction gear unit for transmitting the torque developed by the turbines to the locomotive axles within the desired speed range. It

is desirable that the gear unit housing be so supported in the locomotive frame that the reaction from the torque developed by t e turbines can be transmitted to the frame in a s mple manner and. at the same time, prevent transfer of any lateral forces of the wheel hubs to the drive unit housing. Since accuracy of alignment in the gearing is essential, the-gear unit housingmust be supported in such a manner that it is free from distortion. Also, since the gear unit is located between the side frames of the locomotive and underneath the boiler, it is essential that the unit be removable for overhauling when necessary.

An object of our invention, generally stated, is v Another object of our invention is' to provide removable supports for the gear unit housing of a turbine-driven locomotive.

A further object'of our invention is to provide for adjusting the position of the gear unit hous-. ing in the frame of a locomotive. Stillanother object of our invention is to prO- vide stabilizing Supports for the gear unit housing. I A still further object of our invention is to provide for limited radial movement of the gear unit housing.

Other objects of our invention will be explained to those skilled in the arts a In accordance with one embodiment of our invention the front end of the gear unit housing for a turbine-driven locomotive is carried by a trunnion mounted in the locomotive frame and the rear end of the housing is supported at two points on opposite sides of a pivot pin in the For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of our invention, reference may be had,

,to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: I

Figure 1 is a view, partially in side elevation and partially in section, ofa portion of a locomotive structure embodying our invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the structure shown inFig.1;- v I Fig. 3 is an enlarged view, partially in side elevation and partially in section, of the front sup-' port for the gear unit housing;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged-view, in side elevation, of the rear support for the gear unit housing; Fig. 5 is an enlarged view, in front elevation, of the front support for the gear unit housing,

and

Fig. 6 is a view, partially in side elevation and partially in section, of amodific'atlon of the front support for the gear unit housing.

Referring to the drawings, and particularlyto .Figs. 1 and 2, the portion of the locomotive struc ture shown therein comprises a locomotive frame -10 having side members I I and I2 andcross memtransmitting the torque of the driving turbines (not shown) to the axles IS. A resilientdrive of the type disclosed in the copending application of F. L. Alben, Serial No. 490,311, filed June 10,

.1943, may be provided for each axle 15.

As explained hereinbefore, it is necessary that the gear unit housing I! be properly. supported in the locomotive frame and it is essential that the housing ll be so mounted in the frame that end of the housing I! is supported by a two point support 18 and the front end issupported by a single point support l9.

As shown more clearly in Fig. 4, therear support 18 comprises a horizontally extending plate II which is secured to the housing. l1 and is disposed between a pair of horizontal arms 22 and 23 which are .an integral part ofa support member 24 that is remdvably mounted on the cross-member 13 of the frame llI A removable pivot pin 25 is inserted through openings provided in the plate 2!, the upper arm 22 and the lower arm 23 of the support member 24, thereby permittinglimited radial movement of the gear unit housing about the pivot pin 25; The pivot pin may-be secured to the support member 2|.

by a pair of tap bolts 26.

.tudinal movement of the In order to provide the two points of support for the rear end of the gear unit housing, wearing pads 21 and 28 are provided on the bottom of the plate 2! and the top of the arm 23, respectively. The wearing pads are disposed on opposite sides of the pivot pin 25 and are spaced as far apart as possible on the plate 2 I. In this manner, the rear end of the gear unit housing is supported at two points which are in the same horizontal plane and are located on opposite sides of the pivot pin 25 which is on the longitudinal center line of the gear unit housing. v

The support'member 24 is so constructed that it can be removed from the frame III by removing the pivot pin 25 and bolts 29 which secure the member 24 'to the frame. In this manner the rear end of the housing I! may be dropped between the side fraanes of the locomotive when it. is desired to remove the gear unit. A pair of keys 3|, which are secured in position by tap bolts 32, is

provided to prevent shearing of the bolts 29 which hold the support member 24 on the cross member I3 of the frame.

In order to provide for vertical adjustment of the rear end of the housing II, shims 33 are disposed between the support member 24 and the cross'member I3 of the frame. In this manner, the housing Il may be properly aligned with the axles of the locomotive, thereby permitting satisfactory operation of the driving gears.

As shown more clearly in Figs. 3 and the support I9 for the front end of the gear unit housing I! is of a' trunnion type which is fre to adjust itself for longitudinal expansion. The front support I9 comprises a trunnion member 35 which is disposed in a depression in the cross member I4 of the frame and is provided with a pair of later- -ally extending ears 36 which rest on the cross member I4. As shown in Fig. 3, a plate 37, which may be welded to a cross member 38 of the gear unit housing I I, is bored for receiving a round pin 39 on the trunnion support 35. A bushing 4| may be disposed in the plate 31 to provide a bearing .for-the' trunnion pin 39. vAn opening 42 may be provided'in the cross-member 38 to permit longithe trunnion pin 39.

In order to permit vertical adjustment of the front support I9, shims 43 may be provided between the ears 36' and the cross member I4. The

trunnion support 35 may be removed to permit the front end of the gear unit housing II to be dropped between the side frame members by regear unit housing on moving bolts 44 which secure the member 35 to the cross member I4. Thus both therear support I8 and the front support I9 may be removed to permit removal .of the gear unit housing II from the locomotive frame.

In order to prevent swaying of the gear unit housing, Particularly when the locomotive is rounding curves, a stabilizing support 45 is p ovided on each side of the locomotive frame at the rear of the housing I'I. As shown in Fig. 2 the stabilizing members 45 are of a T-shap'e. One end of each member is secured to the lower portion of the side frame by bolts 46. The members 45 extend horizontally to 'slidably engage the sidesof the housing 'II, thereby preventing any side sway of the gear unit. v

In the modification of the invention shown in Fig. 6, the front support I9 for the gear unit hous ing l I is lowered in the cross frame I4 sufliciently to place the front support substantially on the same horizontal planea sfthe axles I5. The front,

support 5I is removably secured to the cross member I4 by bolts 54. It may be removed from the cross member I4 in the manner hereinbefore described to permit thefront end of the gear unit housing to be lowered between the side frames of the locomotive.

In the event that it is desired to remove only the lower portion of the gear unit housing ii a projection is provided on the upper portion of the housing to permit a block to be inserted between the projection 55 and the frame of the 1WD- motive thereby supporting the upper portion of the gear unit housing. By lowering the location of the front support in the locomotive frame, a more stable support for the gear unit is provided.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that we have provided a three-point support for a gear unit housing which is so constructed that a por'tion'or all of the gear unit housing may be removed from the frame when desired. The elevation of the housing may be adjusted in a vertical plane to secure proper alignment in the locomotive frame. Provision is made for limited radial movement of-the housing in the frame, thereby preventing a distortion of the locomotive frame. Stabilizing means are also provided for keep the housing in a stable condition at all times.

Since numerous changes may be made in the above described construction and different embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a locomotive drive, the combination with a frame having side and cross members-and axles for supporting the frame, of a gear unit housing disposed between said side frame members anddisposed between said side frame members and a pair of said cross members, means on one of the cross members for supporting the housing at one point, means on the other cross member for slidably supportin the housing at two points, said two points of support being in the same horizontal plane, and a, pivot pin disposed between said two points of support to permit movement of the housing about th pivot pin in a horizontal plane, said pivot pin and said single point of support being on the longitudinal center line of the housing. 4

3. In a locomotive drive, the combination with a frame having side and cross members and axles for supporting the frame, of a gear unit housing disposed between said side frame members and a pair of said cross members, means on one of the cross, members for supporting the housing at one point, meanson the other cross member for slidably supporting the housing at two points, said pin.

-ment of the housing about the pivot two points of support being in thesame horizonm1 plane, and'a pivot pin vertically disposed between said two points of support to permit radial movement of the housingkabout'the pivot 4,: In a locomotive drive, the combination with Y a frame having side and cross members and axles for supporting the frame, of a'gear unit housing disposed betweensaid side frame members and a pair of said cross members, a trunnion mounted on one of said cross members for supporting one end of the housing, means mounted on the other cross member for providing two points of support for the other end of the housing, said two points of support being in the same horizontal plane, 2 and a, pivot pin vertically disposed between said two points of support and removably secured to said supporting means to permit radial movepin; 5. In a, locomotive drive, the combination with I a frame havingside and-cross members and axles for supporting the frame, of a, gear unit housing disposed to permit longitudinal'expansion of the housing.

6; In a locomotive drive, the combination with a frame having side and cross members and axles for supporting the frame, of a gear unit housing disposed between said side frame members and a pair of said cross members, a trunnion mounted on oneofsaid cross members for supporting disposed betweensaid side frame members and apair of said cross members, a trunnion mounted on one of said cross,members for supporting ,one end of the housing, means mounted on, the other cross member for providing two points'of support for the other end of th housing, saidtwo points of .support being in the same horizontal plane, a pivotpin vertically disposed between said two points of support to permit radial movement and stabilizing means attached to said side frame, members for slidably engaging the sides of said of the housing about the pivot pin, and means for adjustin said trunnion and said supporting meansin a-vertical plane, said trunnion being a frame having side and cross members and axles I for supporting the frame, of a gear unit housing disposed between said side frame members and a pair of said cross members, a trunnion mounted On one of said cross members for supporting one end of the housing, means mounted on the other cross member for providing two points of support for the other end of the housing, said two points of support being in the same horizontal plane,

housing, said stabilizing means being disposed in a different horizontal plane from said two points of support to permit vertical movement but prevent side-swaying of the housing. WINSTON AVBRECHT.

FRANK L. ALBEN. 

